The present invention relates to surgical clips, more particularly surgical clips of the type typically referred to as parallel jaw clips.
Surgical clips are commonly used to occlude body conduits such as blood vessels during surgical procedures. A common type of surgical clip is the parallel jaw clip that includes a pair of jaws oriented generally parallel to one another and moveable from an open to a closed position. Many such clips include compression or extension springs for biasing the jaws together in the closed position. Representative of such clips are those described in, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,509,882, 4,931,058, 5,653,720 and 6,267,773. Such clips have gained wide acceptance and are easy to place and remove, and provide for dependable occlusion. Such clips are also quite popular for other applications, such as suture tags, and identification markers.
While conventional parallel jaw clips have numerous advantages, they have been limited in the past in that they provide for only a single, fixed force that biases the jaws together. This is because these clips are manufactured with the compression or extension spring in a fixed, predetermined position. In turn such a clip delivers a fixed, predetermined amount of occlusive force to the target blood vessel or body conduit when the clip is deployed. In order to vary the amount then of occlusive force delivered to any given target blood vessel or body conduit, one must then select between a number of different clips, each of which may provide a different amount of occlusive force, depending on the dimensions of the clip, biasing spring, and its relative tension or compression. It would be advantageous to provide for a single adjustable clip that could provide for a variety of occlusive forces. Such a clip would provide a great deal of convenience, and minimize the number and types of clips currently prepared for typical surgeries. In addition, damage to occluded vessels caused by the use of too much occlusive force as can occur due to a tendency to err on the side of providing more rather than less occlusive force, will be mitigated due to the ability to more closely control the amount of occlusive force provided by such a clip.
The present invention meets these and other needs and provides for a surgical clip where the compression or extension of the biasing spring is adjustable, such that a single clip can be adjusted to provide for and deliver various occlusive forces. The surgical clip includes first and second jaw components having first and second body elements in telescoping relationship with one another, along with first and second jaw elements that are moveable toward and away from one another. The clip further includes a slide that is moveable along the longitudinal axis of the telescoping body elements and that is securable at two or more locations along the axis. A spring for biasing the jaws together is provided, with one end of the spring being engaged with the slide such that the relative biasing force exerted by the spring is dependent upon the location of the slide along the axis. The spring can either be a compression or extension spring, depending on the configuration of the jaw components, but in either event the degree of compressive or extensive force supplied by the spring can be adjusted by altering the position of the slide along the axis. In turn, the occlusive force provided by the clip is thus varied proportionally.
In one aspect of the invention, a surgical clip includes first and second jaw components having a first and second barrels, respectively, with the second barrel telescopically slidable within the first barrel. The first and second jaw components include first and second jaws, respectively, that extend radially from the first and second barrels, respectively, and that are moveable toward and away from one another. The first jaw component further includes a first end cap secured to the first barrel, and a slide in association with the cap, the slide being moveable between two or more fixed locations along the cap. The second jaw component includes a second end cap secured to the second barrel. A spring for biasing the jaws together in a closed position is provided, the spring residing within the barrel interiors with one end of the spring being engaged with the slide and the other end engaged with the second end cap.
In a variation of this aspect, the first end cap includes one or more guide slots for receiving the slide. The slide can further be provided with one or more arms that are received through the one or more guide slots. In a further variation of this aspect, the guide slots can also include notches extending from the guide slots and into which the slide arms are engageable. The slide arms that can be translated along the guide slots and then rotated into and engaged with the guide notches. In this manner the slide can be secured at positions defined by the notch locations.
In another aspect of the invention, a surgical clip also includes first and second jaw components having a first and second barrels, respectively, with the second barrel telescopically slidable within the first barrel. The first and second jaw components include first and second jaws, respectively, that extend radially from the first and second barrels, respectively, and that are moveable toward and away from one another. A first end cap is located on the end of the first barrel opposite the first jaw, with the first end cap being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the barrels. A slide is disposed within the first barrel and adapted for engagement with the first end cap such that rotation of the first end cap translates the slide along the axis, with the slide further being securable at two or more spaced apart locations along the axis. The second jaw component includes a second end cap secured to the second barrel. A spring for biasing the jaws together in a closed position is also provided, the spring residing within the barrel interiors with one end of the spring being engaged with the slide and the other end engaged with the second end cap.
In a variation of this aspect, the slide can further include a cam surface oriented at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis that is engageable with a cam pin located on the first end cap. The cam surface can further include a continuous track extending circumferentially around the cam surface with the pin engageable and securable along the track.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a surgical clip includes a slide that is configured for continuous securement along the longitudinal axis, rather than being securable in fixed, spaced apart increments. In one such variation of this aspect, the surgical clip further includes a threaded stem with slide being threaded onto the stem.
The invention also provides for methods of using surgical clips according to the invention for occluding blood vessels and body conduits and for other applications such as suture tags and identification markers.
The invention and its advantages will be even more apparent in view of the following description and accompanying drawings.